Every Breath You Take

by Dustytheyeen

Summary:

Anon escapes his past starting fresh at Volcaldera Bluffs. Attending Volcano high for his senior year. Meeting new faces including that of a particular compy puppeteer. Together they will fight their battles, along with the rest of their friends.

Chapter 1: Exodus

January 6th, 201M2020 BC.

Volcaldera Bluffs.

 

The weather conditions? What's cooler than being cool? Ice cold.

 

Feels like I'm walking around in a horror movie with all this Fog.

Making my way to school, my mind drifts back to Rock Bottom.

…
…

Kids can be cruel.

 

Well whatever, that's behind me now
since my parents sent me across the country to get away from it all. Guess I have to be grateful for that even if it's the only good thing they ever really did for me.

 

Might as well get in some shit posting to get my mind off things. I spot a Mongolian basket weaving thread, just as I'm about to send my well thought out post it gets 404'd.

 

Oh well. Making my way downtown, walking fast, probably close by now if Gruggle maps is to be believed, I can make out a few conversations as I near my destination.

 

"Bro!"

"It's been too long”

"It was only three weeks” *giggle*

Through the fog I can just make out the school. Volcano High. Looks sorta ominous if I'm being honest.

 

Before me is a mixture of fruity pebble dinos. Not another human in sight.

 

Fuck it we ball. As I make my way to the building I can feel all eyes on me.

 

"Is that a human?"

 

"Where's his spear, don't they usually carry spears?”

 

"Ah shit it's the feds, scatter!"

 

I hear quick footsteps scurry off to Raptor Jesus knows where...ugh.

 

Leave it for the saurians to make a human feel welcome, fuck them they don't know me just like those assholes back at Rock Bottom.
…
…

Breathe Anon just breathe. A heavy sigh escapes my throat. Making my way up the steps to the entrance I spot three dinos standing at the doors. One stands out amongst the others: A monochromatic ptero chick wearing something you might see in a 90s punk rock band.

She turns to look at me, those amber eyes looking me up and down. Curiosity flashes across her face along with an eyeroll. She shrugs and goes back to talking with her friends.

 

Huh. Well, that could have gone worse. Looking at my phone informs me I'm 30 minutes early, fuck me. I don't feel comfortable just standing around here with no one to talk to.
I'm still getting stares from the rainbow of students. Screw this, I escape around the corner of the school.

 

Alright Anon you need to chill can't make a spreg of yourself on the first day. Exploring around the corner I spot a beautiful garden. Flowers of every color, trees with round tops, one particularly large tree providing shade for a bench underneath.

 

Perfect.

Out of the corner of my eye I spot movement? I turn to look but whatever was there is gone now, weird as fuck.
Can't shake the feeling of being watched, I look around carefully but nobody is here…Raptor Jesus I really need to just chill the fuck out.

 

With the sun coming out now it's starting to heat up, that bench is looking more and more inviting.
Sitting down, I just look at my surroundings. It's calm, just the gentle breeze to keep me company.

 

I lean back into the bench, maybe this day won't be a total shitshow, so long as I don't stand out more than I already do I should be fine.

*CRACK*

 

As the world falls down, I look up to see the leaves of the tree just swaying in the wind. It would have been a nice sight if I didn't have splinters up my ass.

“Ah fuck me” I wince as the pain takes hold. Just then I hear footsteps rapidly approaching.

"Oh my goodness, are you alright?" I hear a sickly sweet voice call out.

Groaning as I sit up I see two figures approaching. One is an orange parasaur with round glasses dressed up all prim and proper, looking concerned.The other is a dark grey ptero with orange accents on his crest and an ugly floral jacket. Bro does not have that shit on.

 

He offers a claw which I take and am hoisted back up on my two feet.
Dino strength ain't no joke, damn.

"Thanks dude."

"No problem, you must be Anon." the Ptero says.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"We're your welcoming committee!" says the peach para . "This is Naser, and I'm Naomi!" she chirps out.
Something about her is throwing me off, but I can't make an ass of myself in front of these two.

 

"We're part of the student council here at Volcano High, I just so happen to be the student council president!” Naomi proudly proclaims.

 

"Heh, yeah welcome to the school oh and here take this." Naser takes out a brochure and hands it to me 'Volcano High and You: A new beginning to Adulthood'.

 

It takes all the willpower I have not to audibly gag at the brochure, typical stuff, college prep, lunch aid, after school activities…a puppet club? Lame.

I go to say something but an alarm rings out from Naser's phone. He checks it and sighs.

"Hey sorry about this babe,but could you get him all settled? I've got something to care of back at the school”.

 

Naomi sulks a little, she seems dejected “oh”
before returning to her cheery self.

"Ah that's fine Nazy poo, see you at lunch?" Hugging his arm and nuzzling her snout against his.

At that a slight smile creeps on his face alongside a bit of blush.

Oh! So they're like that huh? Can't say I've ever had a girlfriend before, not that anyone would give me a chance. Hell, I wouldn't give myself a chance.

'Lucky you.'

They turn to look at me, and laugh to themselves. Oh man, probably said that out loud. Thankfully they don't seem too bothered. Gotta get a handle on my mumbling. One of these days it's gonna end up biting me in my ass.

 

Finally Naser departs back to the school.

"Alright, Anon. Let's go over your schedule!" Naomi says happily.

She squeals as she looks over my classes.

“Oh we have english together!, Let's go to the library and get your books!”

She reaches out and grabs my hand.

ALERT! ALERT! DEFCON LEVEL 2 PEACH PARA HAS MADE CONTACT!

OBJECTION!!! SHE'S TAKEN! RETURNING TO DEFCON LEVEL FIVE!

Naomi guides me towards the school library helping me get all the books for my schedule.

"Sooo, what brought you to our lovely school Anon? Pretty unusual for someone to start late into the year."

She questions with that tone of voice that could give one diabetes.That caused me to freeze, it was unexpected. I struggle to get out a word. Random bullshit go!

“I…just needed a change of scenery”
Rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly, looking at her in hopes that she buys my story. She hums in thought and nods at me, crisis averted.

Looking through the brochure, my eyes land on the lunch section.Filet mignon? Peking Duck? How fucking loaded is this school?

‘Fuck, I can’t afford any of this.’

“Oh! If you need financial assistance our school provides a program for that!” Naomi chirps.

Well shit. If it gets me this kind of lunch I won’t look a gift dino in the mouth, heh.

“Yeah? Sounds good actually. Uh, could you help me with that?”

“Of course! More than happy to help!” Naomi beams at me.

Maybe she’s not so bad after all, but there's something there that just makes me uncomfortable.

Metaphorically speaking we all wear masks…I should know.

“I will inform principal Spears of your situation and have him get you the proper paperwork after school! For now classes are starting soon, we should get a move on!”

I nod as I follow her out of the library. Walking alongside the peach prez I feel like I’m being watched again. Looking behind me I see a blur of green, red, and yellow run behind a wall. Fucking weirdo, hopefully this just lasts today don't want my own stalker day one.

I catch up to Naomi as other students are arriving, choosing to sit beside her as the only person I know here.I look at my schedule. English with Mr.Tsuki? I look up to see an older stegosaurus in a kimono and wooden sword by his side.

‘Isn't this supposed to be English?!’

Naomi giggles at that, “You say the funniest things Anon.”

Ah, the mumbling again. Well so far so good.

*Ding* *Dong* *Ding* *Dong*

“Ohayo gozaimasu curassu. Tudei yu habu e niu curassu-meito tsu Broukeino Hai, Anon-Kun puriizu camu app zen intordiusu yooru serfu”.

Shit, think, think, think Anon. You got this. “Uh, hey I’m Anon and I like playing games. That is pretty much it.”

Genius. Simply genius.

I look around the class indifferent to my introduction, no one is even looking at me except Naomi. I shrug at her and she gives me a small practiced smile.

The class went on as normal, or what passed for normal as the hierogliphs Mr.Tsuki was spewing were giving me a headache. Might have to get Naomi's help deciphering them. Eventually the bell rang, Naomi giving me a small wave which I returned as we went our separate ways.

The next few classes are just as dull; basic introduction and indifferent stares, which suits me just fine. The plan was to just cruise through the rest of senior year without standing out too much.

Eventually lunch rolls around. Not that I had any means of getting anything edible besides this lethal weapon known as pseudo pizza. Just one tap to the side of my tray causes a dent to form… fuck my life, better than nothing.

I scan around the room trying to find a place to grind my teeth on this triangle of doom. Seeing Naomi and Naser waving to me, might as well join them.

I take my seat across from them, but that weird feeling from before creeps back in, feeling eyes on me from who knows where. I look around but can’t seem to figure out who is watching me.

I always feel like somebody's watching me.

…Get out of my head Rockwell.

I made nice with the stuco prez and her boyfriend. Naomi and Naser gave me their numbers which honestly felt nice. Naser even gave me half his sandwich which makes him alright in my book, probably the first one to make it there. Maybe we could even be bros.

“If you need some more food my sis- Sibling is having a concert after school today, they'll have some extra pizzas you can take home” Naser states, unsure of himself. Naomi’s smile falters, and she starts rubbing Naser’s back.

What was that? I could ask, but it's not my place, still kinda strange though.

“You had me at pizza, so what kinda music do they play?”

“Uh music.”

“Yeah but what genre?”

“The kind you listen to.”

“Naser…”

He opens his beak and holds up a claw to say something but quickly closes it and puts his claw down.

“You don’t know do you?”

“No, not really no.”

The orange creamsicle is fidgeting now, for a moment I see a frown appear on her practiced facade.

Naomi clears her throat. “After the concert you could go visit Principal Spears!, I'm sure he'll be happy to meet you”

She starts to prattle on about some other school related things that I drown out. Just nodding along as I'm bombarded by her words. As she speaks my mind thinks of the concert.

‘Well Naser is alright in my book so sure, plus free pizza, and haven’t been to a live concert ever.’

“Well, this will be your first!” Naser grins.

How did he...? Oh of course. Face meets palm as I look away, catching a glimpse of crimson eyes peering at me from under a lunch table. I’m about to say something when the bell rings.

Naser, Naomi, and I say our goodbyes. I turn to find the eyes under the table have vanished, which makes me think that I might actually have a stalker, or I’m part of a show where my every action is being recorded.

I'm being paranoid, I don't think I'm interesting enough for someone to want to stalk me. My next class is history.

As dinos shuffle inside the classroom I see a peculiar sight; a yellow scaled compy girl in a green jacket, white shirt, jeans, horned cap with fiery red hair flowing out, matched by her burning crimson eyes. That’s not the unusual part though.

No, what stood out is that on her hands and tail are three green puppets with little arms, beady eyes and open mouths.

She sits surrounded by empty desks in the corner of the room while I take an open seat at the back of the class. I stare at the girl as I take my seat only to find that she had been staring back.

And not just her, the puppets too. As the staredown continues, that feeling comes back In full force. All at once I connect the dots.

‘You.’

At first the compy girl looked at me with a neutral expression, but then her look turned to a scowl as her puppets did the same, passing judgement on me.

Something about that look makes me remember Rock Bottom and I turn away, still feeling her eyes on me. I try my best to ignore it. It's suffocating. People who look at me like that have always turned out to be assholes. I see no reason to change my assessment now.

Class couldn’t have ended quickly enough. Our teacher Ms. Roberts seemed the strict type, and that compy girl made no attempt to hide her looks my way. What was her deal anyway?

Not like I did anything to her, she’s the weirdo here. Probably part of that lame puppet club I saw in the brochure. No wonder nobody sits beside her.

At least music class was pretty chill. Mr Jingo couldn’t care less about teaching, just passing out a syllabus and saying it’s free period before going to take a nap. No introduction requested so score one for me.

Naser texted me to meet him at the auditorium, as the final bell rang out. At least the worst has passed now just gonna get some free pizza and get a show to go with it.

I spot Naser leaning in the hallway near the entrance to the auditorium. Lots of dinos seem to be pouring in.

“Hey Anon, ready for the show? Fang and her- I mean… their band is setting up” he says with a sigh.

‘Why the mix-up with his sister or Brother? It’s pretty confusing’.

“YES! It’s very confusing! Fang can be so…so ugh” Naser blurts out.

Ah shit me and my big mouth.

“uhh difficult?” I suggest awkwardly.

“ah crap sorry for blowing up on you Anon I-“.

Just as he’s about to continue he gets a phone call.

“Fang? Yeah no- I just bought these for your show-“

I can hear angry screeching through the phone speaker, Naser winces as the words seem to cut into him. Whoever this Fang person is seems like a total dick I mean I’m an only child who would have loved to have a sibling growing up.The call ends and Naser pinches his snoot?

“Sorry Anon Fang doesn’t want me here, feel free to go on in and help yourself to a few boxes and enjoy the show”.

Man that’s rough to watch, I want to say something but I don’t know what to say instead I just give him a nod and small pat on the shoulder.

He seems to appreciate it and goes on his way. I'm the last to arrive inside, it seems like the band is already set up. That ptero from this morning is up center stage with a bass in hand, along with a purple triceratops also with a bass? and pink raptor on drums. The audience seems to be laughing amongst themselves.

Getting a few boxes of pizza, I’m about to find a seat when the band starts to play what can only be described as torture on the ears making my eardrums ring without thinking I gather up my boxes and rush out of the auditorium.

“Raptor Jesus on his cross of stone, they were horrible!” I'm sorry Naser but I can't stay there subjecting myself to tinnitus. They call that music?

Might as well go see Spears for that lunch card, Now where is his office again? As I’m looking around I bump into something or rather someone, my boxes clatter to the floor as I land square on my ass, twice in one day what are the odds?

“Oops well howdy there partner didn’t hurt you none did I?” a southern accent says concerned.

I look up to see the looming figure of a big orange dino gal wearing a yellow sundress, with ease she picks me up off the floor and sets me down on my two feet. Woah big, strong, and sweet? definitely could see this girl as the dream of some virgin on /pol/ should make a post about this later.

“Nah I’m fine uh sorry for bumping into you like that uh was trying to get somewhere”

“Ain't no problem sugar, here let me help you out with those boxes, oh I bet I knew where you was going!” She gathers them all up and seems to enjoy the smell coming from them.

“Oh yeah? You know the way to-“

“Course I do! Now follow ol Heather I’ll lead you straight to it! Oh by the way what's your name Hun?”

“It’s Anon, Heather uh thanks for showing me the way”

“Think nothing of it, sugar! Always happy to help!” she coos.

She seems different from the others I’ve met so far kinda like Naomi but more I don’t know, more genuine? I mean Noami isn’t all bad but she's still fake as fuck. Heather has also got these funny eyes that seem to be looking anywhere but at me. ‘Is she special?’

“Glad you think so! My ma and pa say I'm a very special girl!I bet you're pretty special too Anon!” Heather states.

A half smirk forms at my face, then a small chuckle even if it was unintentional got to be a pretty sick burn from Heather, well played.

“Yeah guess you could say that” I responded back.

Following Heather we end up outside a classroom with a sign that says Puppet show today in hand drawn bold letters. She opens the door for me and motions for me to enter pizza boxes still in one hand.

“Uh Heather- I don’t-”

“Don’t be shy! The others are expecting us!”

Others? What the fuck is she talking about? I have to get to principal Spears for that lunch card or it's stale pizza again, but I mean this might give me more inspiration for some killer shit post later
…
…
Might as well, with a shrug I make my way inside and see a regular classroom with a few pillows laid out in the ground facing a small puppet stage with a red curtain covering it. I can hear faint sniffling from behind the curtain.

“N-no one came we worked so hard on this” a meek voice whispers from behind the stage.

“Hey, don’t worry Judee there is always next time, they don’t know what their missing”

‘Uh, should I be here?’ I mean I know I came here just to get a laugh but still feels wrong.

“Course you should be! You’re here for the show right?” Heather exclaims, putting the pizza boxes on a desk at the front of the classroom.

I just nod along, hate to see what Heather can do if she's upset.

I can hear shuffling behind the curtain and see a gray scaled troodon peek from the curtain. Her yellow eyes seemed puffy from crying, but seemed to light up at seeing me. Just as quickly as she poked her head out she was gone.

“W-We have an audience member!” The small voice cheered.

I'm officially weirded out but curious as to what type of shitshow might go down.

Another head pokes out, that yellow Compy from history class she seems surprised to see at first eyeing me with suspicion but returns to the cover of the curtain.

This was a mistake. I gotta get out of here, Heather however seems to have other plans as she takes a seat on a pillow, patting one next to her.

“Got us some good seats here Anon!”

Against my better judgement I take a seat next to her, pretty comfortable.

“A-alright let's get started!”

The curtain opens to reveal 5 hand puppets, one dressed as an evil looking Silver samurai with spikes coming out of it and big spikes coming from its small felt hands. And the others looked like turtles each with different colored bandanas, purple, orange, red, and blue.

The following show was actually a blast, lots of silly puppet violence along with a few decent jokes. I find myself laughing alongside Heather, thinking my favorite one is the orange one always cracking cheesy one-liners or some reference.

By the end of the show the turtles are just wailing on that silver samurai guy and sending his felt self flying from the stage. Literally landing against a wall with an agonizing wail, the way it landed made me laugh even harder.

The puppets do a curtain call and I see a yellow claw reach for the samurai puppet, each taking a bow and I clap alongside Heather.

The two puppet actors make their way out from behind the stage to give their own bows.

“Great show girls! Seems like you got yourself a fan too!” Heather smiles as she pats my back lightly or as lightly as she can damn dino strength seriously ain’t no joke.

The grey scaled troodon with blonde hair fidgets a bit, she is wearing some pants with patches in them and a pale blue hoodie, with three puppets on her a pink one with blue hair on her left claw, a light green one on her right, and a red angry looking one on her tail.

“G-glad you enjoyed our show, um my name is Judee”

She said looking at the ground then to me “y-you're actually our first audience member this year…well any year” she admitted with a sigh.

“That's…kinda sad I mean how long have you guys been at it?”

Judee flinched, fidgeting with her puppets' tail wrapped around her leg. The feel of my foot in my mouth sure is tasty.

“Long enough you fucking glowie prick” the yellow one addressed me with a growl. Fuck, wait glowie? What the actual fuck seems like someone visits 4chan pretty frequently. Gotta salvage this, I admittedly really enjoyed the show.

“Ah shit I'm sorry it's just that well it was a good show and um, it's sad because nobody else can see that…”

I rub the back of my head, looking to gauge the room’s reaction, Judee looks happy with my explanation, Heather too, but that red headed step Compy still looks at me like I shat in her cereal.

She grumbles a bit but finally seems to relent just giving me a glare and turning her attention to her puppet pal, heh.

The red haired compys rubbed Judee’s back with her own puppet covered claw Heather goes to join them. Suddenly I feel very out of place here but they seem happy enough to just have someone to watch their performance, better than that train wreck of a concert that’s for sure.

“Hey you Skinnie”, the compy spat “Just cuz you watched and clapped doesn’t mean I like you, you’re still an outsider to me for all I know you’re working for the feds!” she pointed with her puppets looking angrily at me.

“S-schzio please don’t scare off our audience” Judee interjects

“Judee! Don't tell him my name now he knows who I am! I'll have to move states, houses, everything!” Schizo yells while frantically waving her arms about.

Schizo? What the fuck and the skinnie and Glowie comment? This weirdo would fit right in on some conspiracy thread on 4chan. I'm stunned at the audacity of this bitch I mean I don’t even know her and here she is slinging slurs and accusations. I'm pissed.

I didn’t have to show up to this show even if it was pretty funny, I was on my way to see Spears oh shit what time is it?

I pull out my phone to see it’s 30 minutes till 5. I got time yeah I got time. more than enough to tell her off, as I’m about to though I can hear Judee’s stomach growl and she looks embarrassed by it. That got a chuckle out of me. All that anger just seems to go away, huh, laughing helps keep me calm. Go figure.

Schizo scowls at me but then peers at something behind me, I turn to look at the pizza, I didn’t have a chance to taste any since I got sidelined by Heather. I look back to see all three girls eyeing it, well I doubt I’ll eat all this pizza myself, it’ll probably go bad in my shitty refrigerator anyway.

Even if this yellow bitch didn’t deserve it, maybe I can make peace with this. Plus it was admittedly a pretty fun show.

“Uh guys, would you like some pizza? I mean I can’t finish it all by myself just leave me a box or two okay?”

The three look absolutely ecstatic even Schizo, her scowl is replaced by a toothy grin huh, so that’s what she looks like, happy, kinda cute honestly. What am I thinking? looking at her more carefully she looks away and crosses her arms.

“Thanks fed boy” she mumbles. Well at least it ain’t a slur.

“Uh Name is Anon by the way”

“Yeah I know, we share history, remember?” Schizo adds with a sneer

“How could I forget you stand out like a sore thumb you sure you're not the glowie? Hiding in plain sight with those puppets you're wearing makes people think you're crazy so they're less suspicious” I joke at her.

“I'M NOT CRAZY!” Schizo screams at me. Her red eyes burned a hole in my head.

Ah fuck must have struck a nerve there, I'm awestruck at just how wound up she is. Something about her is familiar, that rage, that attitude. I mean I guess I did get her back for that shit she was slinging earlier but why doesn't it feel satisfying as it should be?

Schizo is still glaring at me expectantly, is she waiting for me to take it back? I probably should didn't even mean it as an insult, ‘stop being a pussy Anon and just stone the fuck up’.

“talking to yourself and having the balls to call me crazy?” schizo points her puppet at me.

“Okay fuck, you're not crazy and I'm sorry I called you that alright?”

Schizo considers me for a bit scanning my face to find any trace of a lie but is found wanting.

“Whatever Fed boy let's just eat” Schizo finally huffs.

Judee and Heather seemed to be holding their breath the entire time me and Schizo were going at it. Can't say I blame them.

We make our way over to the table, and begin to grab slices. This pizza is from a place called Dino Moe’s.

“T-thank you umm I don’t usually get to enjoy this yummy stuff” Judee says cutting the tension in the room. she bites into her slice and I see her tail wagging back and forth at the taste. Another smile creeps its way onto my face.

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” I ask, turning to Judee.

Judee looks down as she finishes her slice, Her fidgeting mannerisms return.

“Uh well…” she starts.

Schizo interupts her.“What's it to you Glowie? What are you planning to do with that information huh?” Schizo hisses at me.

What the actual fuck is her problem? I’m just making conversation.

“Just asking jeez are you always so paranoid about meeting new people?!” I shoot back.

“I am when they go asking questions about my friends, you’re still on my shit list Fed boy”.

Judee looks like she wants to say something but Heather is the one who speaks up.

“Aw cut him some slack there Schizo he’s new here! Plus he's doing us a favor feeding us all like this, He didn't have to do that, ya know”

Schizo growls but finally relents.

“Yeah guess you’re right but still I’ll be watching you Fed boy”.

“Like you were watching me all day today?” raising an eyebrow at her.

“You don’t have any proof that it was me! I plead the fifth!” Schizo says suddenly as she snatched a slice from the box.

Heh, caught her lacking. Grabbing my own slice.

biting into it my mouth I'm treated to an explosion of cheese, pepperoni and sauce. Good God it's beautiful. We end up finishing three boxes worth. Everyone is looking satisfied, even the tension between me and Schizo seems to melt away. Guess food really does bring people together.

‘I wouldn’t mind doing this again’.

“R-really?” Judee looks excited with her big old eyes. Ah shit I might have committed myself to something. Schizo peers at me with those fiery red eyes, coming to some unspoken conclusion in her mind.

“Well, looks like he can appreciate a good show when he sees one we're meeting tomorrow too, be here or don’t Fed boy” Schizo says dismissively.

Something other than ridicule from Schizo? I think that's as good as it's gonna get from her.

Heather absolutely beams at the situation, “maybe he could even join the puppet pals!”

Judee’s tail wags again, Schizo on the other hand looks uncertain conflicted even.

“Woah,woah,woah I mean this was great and all but I don’t know the first thing about being a puppeteer besides watching a few episodes of Rock Street Road on PBS Kids”.

“W-We could teach you! And um I watched that show too and also Grim Henderson’s Maze as a kid” Judee smiles at me. “One of my favorite movies growing up!” Judee enthusiastically tells me.

I mean Judee seems nice enough, it's Schizo I'm worried about. Is Heather part of the club too? She didn't seem to participate so maybe not? Questions for later.

“I'll have to think about it, how about tomorrow?” looking to Judee for approval.

Judee seems happy with that. Checking the time again it's just about to be 5. Walking back to skin row in the dark is not something I’m looking forward to. If I hurry I can make it before then.

I say goodbye to the trio, Judee and Heather yell goodbye while Schizo just crosses her arms looking away. I swear I could see her tail puppet flip me off on my way out.

I gather up the remaining 2 boxes of diabetes-inducing goodness and hurry out the classroom door. At least I have something to look forward to tomorrow.

Chapter 2: Of Compies and Men

Summary:

Anon's second day at Volcano high reveals some truths. The past rears it's ugly head.

*Beep beep beep*

I opened my eyes to the blaring alarm clock, the numbers flashing 6:00 AM. After slapping the alarm, I yawned, doing a combat roll off the bed. I headbutted the floor and let out a victory screech. Anon stays winning.

I take my phone off its charger, checking the 4Chan threads that haven't been 404’d. Heh, those lizard lounge femcels are always easy. I spy a text from Naomi.

It's strange—even though I don't really trust her, getting a text from someone I know feels good. The text reads:

“Dear Anon, Principal Spears has informed me that you didn't show up for your lunch card after school yesterday. As such, he would like to see you first thing in the morning. Sincerely, Naomi.”

Of course the peach prez would text like she is some old lady living in Victorian-era England. I can't help but chuckle; she would fit right in. I hit her with ol’ reliable—the thumbs up emoji.

Haven't met this Principal Spears dude. Probably didn't make the greatest impression when I flaked on him, but it wasn't entirely my fault. I have three dinos in particular to thank for that. Of course, it wasn't a bad experience.

I take a quick shower—only body wash. Helps to save some extra cash when you don't need shampoo. The water is freezing. Fucking landlord. I dry off and put on my usual outfit. The closet is filled with my bulk green jacket, shirt, and jeans. A thread on 4Chan said buying in bulk was better in the long run. Can't argue there.

A breakfast of cold pizza and water later, and I'm off to Volcano High. Making sure I locked the door—I can't take any chances around here. I’ll have to go see Spears, then I can return to my original plan.

Did I truly want that, though? Just fading into the background? Alone.
Might be impossible now that I've got the attention of the puppet pals. That offer is still up for grabs.

It would be nice to just hang out, even if it was with the terror in yellow. Judee said she could teach me. I remember as a kid that Rock Street Road would show in the morning before school. Not a bad program—taught me some lessons that even my parents failed to.

A few more minutes of walking, and I spot the school through the early morning haze, looking like something out of a shitty WAD. A familiar feeling finds me. Two figures approach, their silhouettes growing larger in the fog.

The fog clears to reveal Judee and Heather.

“Howdy, Anon!” the large Acrocanthosaurus says, carrying a picnic basket in one hand.

“G-good morning, Anon,” Judee says, smiling at me. Her puppets seem to be doing the same.

“Hey guys, what's up?” I say in a cool tone. I look around, half expecting Schizo to jumpscare me from the fog.

“If yer’ wondering where our Schizo is, she's around here somewhere, sugar,” Heather says, apparently reading my mind.

Rustling of bushes nearby can be heard.

I shrug and call out to the yellow compy somewhere in the mist,
“Morning to you too, Schizo!”

Rustling intensifies. Chuckles from us all.

“Oh! Before I forget—here, Anon, to pay ya back for yesterday.” Heather reaches into her picnic basket and produces a large, juicy-looking red apple.

“Fresh from my family’s farm! Picked 'em this morning,” Heather smiles at me, holding it out for me.

She also hands one to Judee, who takes it gratefully.

“Thanks, Heather. I appreciate that.” I reach out and take the apple. It's pretty hefty.

I take a bite, and it's got that satisfying crunch to it while also being sweet and savory.

“God damn, this is really good.”

“Glad ya think so!” Heather says with pride.

This isn't exactly how I thought this year would go. Second day in and I have people actually coming up to me and being friendly?
They don't know about my past, so I have that going for me.

Wonder what my parents would think of this—talking to girls, and Dino girls no less. Mom would just be glad I'm making friends. Dad, on the other hand, would pull out his thesaurus of insults to describe our saurian neighbors.

“Hey, uh, gotta get going. Principal Spears said he needed to see me,” I say after taking another satisfying bite of the apple.

“Y-you aren't in any trouble, are you?” Judee asked innocently.

“Ah, nah. I just need to pick up something, and I haven't actually met the guy.”

“Alright then, hun, we won't keep ya any longer,” Heather says in a southern drawl.

Which reminds me that I have no idea where his office is. I sigh before sheepishly asking if one of them would lead me to it. Suddenly, the bush sprouted horns and out pops Schizo.

“I'll help you out, Fed Boy,” Schizo says with a smirk on her face. A few leaves and small branches stick to her hair and clothes.

I'm pretty suspicious. I mean, just yesterday she was at my throat.
Sure, we came to some kind of understanding thanks to the power of pizza, but that was then—this is now.

“Alright then. Thanks, Schizo,” I shrug.

She shrugs back. She greets her friends. Heather also gives her an apple… huh?

‘Isn't she a carnivore?’

Schizo turns to me, seemingly amused, and bites into the apple right in front of my face.
Guess that answers that.

She starts walking away, using her tail puppet to beckon me to follow. Go with the flow, I suppose. She walks towards the entrance of the school, all the while that puppet is eyeing me with its little button eyes.

A childhood memory flashes through my mind of a stop-motion animated movie.

‘Crocaline, I think it was called.’

Schizo turns around and stops to look at me. “What are you muttering about, Fed Boy?” she says, a scowl on her face.

Well, no point in saying nothing, because I can guarantee she will make a big deal of it.

“Just looking at your puppets. They remind me of this old movie I saw as a kid—ya know, Crocaline?”

At that, she seems to perk up a bit.

“Yeah, pretty cool movie. Creepy too. Maybe I'll sew buttons in your eyes,” she flashes me a wicked smile, chuckling to herself.

Alright, that got a pretty good response out of her. Wonder how I could keep it going, but it'll have to wait. Spears is expecting me any minute now.

I laugh with her; she seems normal enough. Of course, I could be wrong. New friend or weirdo? There was that stalking and also hiding in the bushes. Those empty desks beside her in history, plus being in the puppet club. Hanging out with her and the other puppet pals might be social suicide.

For some reason, though, I don't seem to mind. We continue on for a few more steps when Schizo points to a door with a plaque that reads: Principal’s Office. She does a showman's bow, and I begrudgingly clap for her.

“Thanks again, Schizo. Uh, what time do you guys meet after school again? I'm thinking of taking up Judee’s offer.”

She seems shocked, her jaw hanging open for the briefest of moments. The puppets, likewise, are also slack-jaw. Her trademark scowl returns.

“You're serious? Don't bullshit me, Glowie.” She stares at me with a dark expression.

Again with the Glowie comment. I'll let it slide. I don't want to start a debate right outside the principal’s office.

“Yeah, I'm serious. I mean, you guys offered yesterday—could be fun.” I look back at her.

Schizo seems confused, but she stays silent. She knocks on the door. A few booming steps can be heard. Just like that, she's gone.

The door swings open. What I see is a huge Neanderthal in a sharp suit, long black hair to his shoulders, with glasses fixed on his stout face.

“Ah, Mr. Mous, good of you to finally see me.”

He holds open a huge hand. I instinctively shake his hand, making sure to flex my muscles so that I make a good impression. Spears nods, seemingly content.

He gestures for me to enter. I comply, seeing a pretty normal-looking office with a few files and stacks of paper on his desk. He closes the door and takes a seat in his big office chair.

“I was hoping to meet you yesterday to give you this.”

He reaches into a drawer and pulls out a laminated card. He explained how the lunch card works—how I had to pay back what I got with it a few months after graduation.

“Now then, how has your experience at Volcano High been?” he asks with authority.

I mean, so far it's been alright. Besides that debacle with the bench, not much has happened. Of course, it was only the second day.

“Not bad, sir. Just getting used to a new school and all. Naomi and Naser helped me out.”

Spears nods. “They make a good team, although Naomi tends to over-explain.”

I smile at that. “Yeah, I get what you mean.”

He smiles back.

“Before you go, Anon, there was an incident at a concert yesterday held in the auditorium. I'd like to know if you were present.” He suddenly turned serious.

“Well, to be honest, sir, I only went there for the pizza, and I was one of the last to arrive. And, well, the music wasn't exactly Hendrex.”

He frowns at my response. “I see. And did you happen to witness any transgressions against the band? Or hear anything?”

“Uh, no sir. All I heard was laughter. I left the auditorium early and ran into, uh, a friend.”

Spears nods, writing something down. “A friend, you say?” He looks at me, raising an amused eyebrow.

“Yeah, uh, do you know Heather? I kinda bumped into her, and she took me to see a puppet show.” I feel a smile tug at my face.

Now Spears’ scrutinized gaze turned to one of pride. “Very good, Mr. Mous. It does my heart good to see students getting along.”

“How was the show?” he inquired.

I went into detail about the puppet brawl. By the end of my summary, I'm actually laughing alongside Spears.

He beams at me. “I think you will do quite well for yourself here with the remainder of senior year.”

‘Yeah, if Schizo doesn't gut me before then.’

His smile falters. “Please refrain from calling your fellow students such names.”

I feel a wave of embarrassment run through me. “Ah, sorry, Principal Spears. It's just that I don't know her by any other name.”

Spears seems to understand. “Anon, I'll tell you something: remember that everyone is fighting their own battles. Whatever struggles someone might be going through, try to be understanding.”

With that, he gestures to the door with a pen.
“You are dismissed, Mr. Mous.”

I exit the office, contemplating what he said. Everyone is fighting their own battles, huh. Wonder what kind of battles Schizo is fighting.

Exiting the office, I look around to catch a glimpse of Schizo. Nobody is around except a few students here and there. I don't even feel that sense that anyone is watching anymore. Wonder where she ran off to. I look down to the laminated card. At least I won't starve.

*Ding* *Dong* * Ding* *Dong*.

Walking to the homeroom, I spot Naomi walking with some books hugged against herself. She looks lost in thought. I just wave at her. That seems to snap her out of whatever was on her mind. Naomi peers at me, smiling—or maybe smirking? She gives me a polite nod, and we enter the classroom.

Mr. Tsuki does his lesson, struggling to even comprehend half of what he is saying. I look at Naomi seated next to me. She's writing everything down like she understands him perfectly. I'll have to ask her if I can copy her notes after class.

Eventually, class ends and I shift over to face Naomi.

“Uh, hey Naomi?”

She pauses, gathering up her belongings, and turns her head to look at me. Light reflects off her glasses looking like those smart anime characters when they are about to explain their master plan.

“Yes, Anon?”

“Could you text me your notes? I'm having a hard time understanding Mr. Tsuki’s accent.”

Naomi’s smile falters a bit, but she agreed to help me out. We pack up and leave. Maybe I was wrong about her, but can't let my guard down.

Never again.

The corridors are filled with students making their way to their next class.

Some commotion arises near some lockers. I can hear laughing and jeering from some dickheads who are blocking my way to science class. I try saying “excuse me” but am ultimately ignored. I'm getting pissed. I look to what is the source of their attention.

Schizo? Surrounded by a big brown allosaurus, a blue stegosaurus, and some red-scaled pterodactyl. The allosaurus has Schizo’s puppet held high above his head. Schizo bares her fangs, her eyes are pinpricks as she tries to get it back. I should just walk away—it's not my problem.

Memories of the past flare up.

‘…Everyone is fighting their own battles.’

Fuck it.

I use all my might to shove the blue stegosaurus out of my way so that he tumbles down to the ground. The momentary distraction is enough for the allosaurus to turn his head. It's the opening Schizo needs to pounce. Using her claws to slash at him, he takes a step back. He trips over the stegosaurus and lands with an ugly crack as his skull hits the floor.

Schizo promptly climbs over the mess of bodies on the ground and reclaims her prized possession. I notice her gaze shift between the stegosaurus at my feet and me. The stegosaurus struggles to get up, as a likely 200-pound-plus allosaurus is on top of him.

I glare at the assholes, catching a glimpse of Schizo’s softened expression. I look at her. Her fury is palpable. She inhales to say something when—

We hear some loud shouting behind us. Some teachers are barking orders for other students to clear the hallway. Chaos ensues. Schizo grabs me by my hand and runs. I don't even have time for the alarm bells to ring. We jump over the aggressors. Not stopping for anything—my lungs are burning.

Hopefully, they didn't know it was me. Fuck, who am I kidding?
I did that in front of, like, a dozen witnesses.

Schizo leads me to the Puppet Pals club room. She quickly yanks the door open and shoves me inside. She closes the door and retrieves a key from her neck, locking the door. That's the hardest I've ever run since Dad’s training regiment.

I struggle to catch my breath. Schizo looks over her puppet. I can see it torn in a few places. She retrieves some sewing equipment, stealing quick glances at me before tending to her puppet.

Looks like I'm missing science. Once the adrenaline has died down and Schizo seems less likely to kill someone, we relax into a comfortable silence. Can't believe I just did that—and for someone I barely met yesterday.

She mutters something under her breath I can't quite understand.

“What?”

“I could have handled that on my own, Skinnie,” she growls out.

Are you fucking serious?

“Look, bitch, they were in my way. I just so happened to shove the jerks that were giving you a hard time.”

Her scowl returns, and she gets closer to me.

“Oh ho? So he does have guts to talk back after all, and here I thought you were just a gutless coward, always backing down when confronted,” she smirks at me.

I glare back at her. I'm starting to regret my decision to intervene on her part. Maybe I should reconsider joining the club. But then I'd be alone again.

“I don't know what your problem is with me. I barely know you, and I just risked my neck for you, ungrateful little shit.”

“You got some sort of hero complex, Glowie, or are you just stupid?”.

“If this is your idea of gratitude, you can fucking keep it. Next time, don't expect me to do shit for you,” I point at her accusingly.

“Good. I didn't need your help anyway. I've been fine on my own with just Judee and Heather. Where were you when those assholes would pull this sort of shit every other day?” she spits out.

It's a question that catches me off guard. Nobody ever came to my defense. Why did I help her? Did I think I would be some sort of knight in shining armor and she would be eternally grateful? I'm so naive.

I stay silent.

I let her words linger for a moment. It seems she's been dealing with some kind of bullying. To what extent, I don't know, but I know the same pain of being targeted for what you are. My anger evaporated.

“You good?” I finally say.

“Yeah. It's not the first time this has happened,” she replied coldly. Her puppet looked brand new. Clearly, she was talented with a needle and thread.

I feel a buzz from my phone—Naomi.

“Anon, where are you? Are you ok? There are rumors that you tackled a student,” it reads.

I text back:
“I'm fine. Say hi to Naser for me.”

“Looks like they're already talking about it.”

“Big surprise,” Schizo states.

“So, what’s the plan? We can't stay here forever.”

Schizo looks to her puppets as if consulting with them. She sighs.

“If we're lucky, we could just slip back into our classes after the bell rings.”

She pulls out a few more pillows and lays down. She looks at me.

“You just gonna stand there all stiff, or are you gonna relax and pop a squat, Glowie?”

I hadn't realized just how nervous I'd been. I went over to the pillows and just sat cross-legged comfortably and sat back with my arms supporting me.

“So, you're serious about joining us?” she asks defensively.

“Yeah, I've been thinking about it and don't see a reason not to.” I lay down entirely now, staring at the fluorescent lights above.

She is silent for what seems like an eternity.
“Alright then, Fed Boy, but we're not exactly the popular kids around here, if you couldn't already tell.”

Not too hard to figure that one out. If Heather hadn't dragged me to the show, I would avoid being anywhere near this club—and for that matter, its members.
As it stands, however, I find myself growing fond of them. Even Schizo.

“You better not bail on us or do anything to hurt my friends, otherwise we're gonna have problems,” she flashes me her fangs.

I hold up my hands in surrender. Judee and Heather have been nothing but good to me, so of course I'm not gonna do anything that risks our friendship. It's weird—I never had any friends in Rock Bottom, not real ones anyway. Just two-faced liars and backstabbers.

“Yeah, I got it. Don't want to end up disemboweled,” half-joking.

For the moment, she seems content. The bell rings soon after, and we sneak out of the club room. Merging with the sea of students going to their different classes, thankfully I make my way to math class without incident.

I quickly find my seat. Mr. Carldewskii dives into his lesson. I can't concentrate because the full weight of what just happened sinks in.
I fucked up. It's a miracle I haven't been called to the office yet. And as if right on cue, the PA announces:

“Will Anon Y. Mous and Vice President of the Puppet Pals Club please report to Principal Spears’ office immediately.”

There it is. I get up from my seat and excuse myself. I avoid the gazes of the students and make my way to the office. My palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. I spotted Schizo already.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

We looked at each other. No more words needed to be exchanged, as I'm sure she thought the same thing as me. Fuck.

Before I get a chance to knock on the door, it swings open suddenly. Spears' kind expression from before is replaced by that of a savage—probably the last thing a poor saber-tooth tiger saw as he was stabbed with a pointy stick.

“You two. In here. NOW,” he bellowed.
We dare not waste another second as we step inside the gates to hell. He takes his seat in his office chair.

“Sit,” he orders.
We each take a seat facing his desk. His hardened expression never falters.

“I have one student nearly knocked unconscious and another one with a broken dorsal plate. We have checked the cameras and found out your involvement,” he says.

“We know what transpired prior to you intervening, Mr. Mous, and while I commend you for trying to step in to help Miss—”

“It's Schizo,” Schizo suddenly interrupts.

Spears frowns.
“Yes, as I was saying, while I commend you for trying to help… your fellow student, the fact is you got into a fight on school grounds, and that carries consequences.”

“As for you, Miss… Vice President, you deliberately swung your claws at another student. If I recall, it's not the first time you have been involved in an altercation.” Spears’ face loses a bit of fury, but just barely.

Schizo just nods, a shadow of her former self.
He sighs heavily.

“Anon, Vice President, I'm going to have you spend your lunch in detention with Ms. Roberts, as well as assign the both of you to campus beautician on Saturday,” he looks to me.

“Campus beautician is run by the Gardening Club. They will put you to work around the grounds to maintain our school looking proper.”

Schizo seems resigned to her fate.
I muster up the courage to speak up.

“Sir, it… it wasn't her fault. I was the one who pushed the blue stegosaurus that caused all of this. Schizo was just acting in self-defense,” I plead my case.

Schizo looks at me, tilting her head.

Spears huffs.
“Self-defense with her claws? I appreciate you speaking up, Anon, but this is non-negotiable. You have put me in a tough position. The police could be involved if the students’ injuries are severe enough,” he says, deflating.

“It's not fair! Those jerks were the ones harassing Schizo and nobody stepped in to help her out!” I say, my fury steadily rising.

“Lower your tone, Mr. Mous,” Spears says sharply.

I can't stop myself. All my memories of Rock Bottom fill my head—the beatings, my locker being vandalized with used condoms and anime girl posters, being laughed at all the time, getting tripped in class, and not even my teachers stepping in.

I'm starting to hyperventilate.

“It's not right! Why should she get punished for standing up for herself?! They had it coming, and I'd do it again—they're all assholes! Why am I the only one singled out?! It's—”

I feel a soft hand on my shoulder. I see Schizo looking pale as she stares at me, shaking her head. I notice the blood trickling down my hands.

My nails were digging into my palms.

I'm shaking uncontrollably.

Fuck.

Spears, for his part, remained calm. Reaching into a bag for a first aid kit, he stepped forward. He applied some band-aids and tended to my wounds after cleaning them with some alcohol. The stinging brought me out of my state.

“I understand that this must seem unfair, but please—if I don't do this, there could be more dire consequences for the both of you,” Spears says.

I stay silent, looking down at the floor. I dare not look up. “I apologize for my outburst,” I say.

Spears huffs.
“The other students involved will receive the same punishment but on different days so as to not cause another incident.”

It's of little comfort, but it's something, I guess.

Spears tries to impart some words of wisdom to us, but I drown out what he said with my own swirling thoughts. He finally dismissed us
when the bell rang, and we shuffled to lunch.

We grab our trays, and I use my lunch card to grab a Philly Sub and a few cookies. Some eyes were on us—whispers and murmurs. No doubt the whole affair reached the entire school.

Schizo notices the card; sympathy passes through her features. Odd.
We grab our food and make our way to Ms. Roberts’ class, convenient as our next class is history.

Ms. Roberts doesn't comment on our arrival.
I remember the empty desks near Schizo. I plan on changing that. I take my seat next to her. We eat in silence.

Lunch passes by uneventfully. Tried using the bathroom as an excuse to shitpost—literally. But Ms. Roberts demanded my phone, and I had to give it up. Eventually, history class is in full swing. I don't go back to my original seat. Getting looks from the various students and Ms. Roberts.

Fuck ’em.

Class goes about as well as it can. After Ms. Roberts’ lecture, she says to find a partner to work with on the homework for the rest of class. The banana-scaled dino next to me asks for help with some questions here and there.

I go over some problems with her, and we slip into a nice rhythm. I'm pretty good with history, as my dad served in the war before he settled down. Told me some cool war stories, and that got me interested in history as a whole.

Towards the end of class, Schizo peers at Ms. Roberts before scribbling something down on a piece of paper and putting it on my desk. It's risky, but I sneak a peek. It says to meet at the club room as soon as school is over.

I don't want to be alone with my thoughts; this will probably keep my mind off things.

I nod and shove the paper into my pocket. She nods back, and we continue to finish the worksheet. Ms. Roberts is none the wiser.

Music class is rather boring, except for a brachiosaurus guy who managed to get his head stuck in a tuba. I just grabbed some bongos and emulated my Donkey Kong ancestors. Jingo successfully extracted the brachiosaurus from his musical mishap. Jingo taught about scales or something. Didn't really pay attention.

He gave us some homework, and soon school was over. I waited a bit for the other students to clear out before I made my way to the Puppet Pals club room. It appears I'm the second to arrive. Judee is already there, setting up the small puppet stage from a storage closet. Doesn't seem like she noticed me yet.

“Hey, Judee,” I say.

“Eep!” Judee flinches and retreats behind her hoodie. She turns her back to me and raises her red, angry-looking puppet on her tail.

“Why don't you knock like a normal person?!” the angry puppet states in a gruff voice, clearly coming from Judee. I can't help but laugh at the display.

The angry puppet states, “Am I here just to amuse you? Like I'm some sort of clown? I make you laugh? I'm here to fucking amuse you?!”
The puppet suddenly takes on a gangster voice. I doubled over helplessly. It's too much.

Judee turns back around, a smidge of red around the white scales of her face. She crosses her arms and pouts. Maybe I have upset her. But I couldn't help it. I was caught so off guard.

“Sorry, Judee, didn't mean to scare you,” I say, still struggling to contain my laughter. I needed that too, after all this drama. Judee looks back at me, still looking a bit embarrassed.

“I-It’s alright, Anon. Just please knock next time, okay?”

I nod at her. “Will do.”

She continues to set up the stage when she stops to look at me. Then she gasps and cheers happily. Judee comes to me, tail wagging, and holds my hands. Surprisingly, the alarms are at ease.

“Y-You came! Then does that mean you're gonna join the club?!” I can see literal stars in her eyes. Looks like I just made her day. Her enthusiasm is overwhelming.

I feel slightly embarrassed. At a loss for words, I simply nod my head. Judee’s already wide smile stretches from ear to ear. All at once, I am enveloped by a warm embrace.

I'm startled at the sudden contact and try to take a step back, but I'm held in place by the surprisingly strong troodon girl. Then I hear the door rattle. Looking over my shoulder, Schizo and Heather stare at us.

Heather gasps. “Oh my, kinda forward of ya, Judee, ain't it?” she says with an amused tone.

At that, Judee retreats from the embrace and holds her hands behind her back. Schizo, for her part, looks to be back to her old scowling self—particularly at me.

“Ah s-sorry, Anon, I'm really sorry,” the little troodon’s once gray-scaled face now a shade of pink. My momentary panic subsides.

“It's alright. Just kinda unexpected,” I say, trying to put Judee’s mind at ease.

I explained what transpired between me and Judee. Heather approaches me, and for the second time that day, I'm enveloped in a hug I can't escape. Except this time, I'm twirled around the room. My eyes turn to Schizo, pleading for help.

“Don't expect a hug from me, Fed Boy,” she chuckles, seemingly content with my predicament. At last, the ride comes to a stop, and I feel the ground beneath my feet. Momentarily dazed, I lean against a desk, trying to regain my equilibrium.

The energy of the room felt more at ease. I learned that Heather wasn't actually part of the club, but she came to every show and helped out where she could—so, practically an honorary member.

Judee and Schizo are preparing an upcoming show for some kids coming to the school. A lot more stuff goes into a show than I originally thought.

A script, maybe making a new puppet, voice acting, and backdrops for the stage. Sometimes you can repurpose an old puppet for a show—more convenient that way and saves time as well.

Schizo and Judee are pretty good teachers, going over the basics with me. The topic of my fight hasn't come up, even though I'm sure Heather and Judee have heard about it.

I'm grateful for that. The club lasts for about 2 hours. I help clean up the place, and then we lock up. We walk out together—Heather and Judee carpool. Schizo and I are left alone. Schizo said she was waiting for her ride.
I have to hurry if I want to avoid getting jumped in the dark.

“See you tomorrow.” I began to speed walk.

“Wait,” Schizo said.

“Yeah?” I turn around.

“Thanks, for back there, Fed Boy.”

What is she referring to? The situation with the assholes or with Spears? Either way, I'm taken aback.

“For what?”

“For giving a shit”

Ah.

“Don't…don't mention it”.

“Need a ride?”. She asks.

Can't let her know where I live—nobody should know.

“Nah, I'm good.”

She nods. I take that as my signal to leave. I hurry off as fast as I can. The clean buildings and quaint shops fly by and are soon replaced by decrepit buildings and the smell of smoke. I run past the homeless guys around a barrel fire, dodging the crackhead around the corner. Soon enough, I'm home.

I quickly open the door and lock it. I collapse on the bed.

What a day.

Notes:

Hi guys sorry for the wait, been fine tuning this chapter for a while. Had to go through a few rewrites as well. Hope your happy with the final result. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long. As always if Any mistake are caught please inform me. Thank you.

Notes:

Hello, this is my first fic, this idea has been in my head for some time. Please critique my work so that I might improve. Smoothrock helped me proofread my fic, but lemme know if any errors appear. Thank you for reading.